My brother and I had cause for a special meal, so we treated ourselves to T-bone steaks. I thought I would give these the extra touch of an aged balsamic vinegar and olive oil marinade as pictured here:

For me, this marinade adds a touch of distinction to the meat and works great even with hamburgers as well. I let these bathe for six hours and then on to the grill they went.

I also gave them a good dose of kosher salt and course ground pepper. I just luv how the extra seasoning helps draw out the flavors and enhances the taste. That's all I need for steak, not garlic or other spices, though I can appreciate them. I may lack the finesse for getting killer skid marks, but I am most pleased to get a little bit of char around the more fatty areas.

Time to plate and reveal the cross sectional view. This photo does not do the actual appearance of the steak justice. I mean, what you see as pink is actually more of a reddish hue, as I cooked these to a medium rare. I served these up with a power salad and avocado on the side. There was much for which to be grateful here, and we really enjoyed this treat!

Moving on, I don't know why, but I frequently get in the mood for fish 'n chips. Wild caught, Alaska Cod is my fish of choice normally. I like to slather it with mayo and then coat with cornmeal. Off to the pit to grill indirectly.

Hard to tell the difference perhaps, but after a short while, fish is done.

Time to plate it up with the steak fries. Dressed the fish with a little lemon and tartar sauce. With that itch scratched, hopefully I'll be good for a week.

So, I had some tostada crowns and opted to make taco salads. This is a great, flat rate way to make several tacos at once. I seasoned the meat with carne asada rub and a good dose of hot sauce (chilehead that I am). Then I mixed in shredded romaine lettuce, cilantro, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and avocado chunks. Followed up with more hot sauce. Game on, and good nutrition too! Oh, and that carne asada rub on the meat is so flavorfull and good!

Finally, this may not be BBQ, but what's not to luv about a hot pastrami sub come game time? Served on a hot, crispy crusted Italian bread loaf, with globs of mustard, sliced tomatoes, and Bubbies pickles and sauerkraut. This was a touchdown for me.

Wow beercuer did you eat well in this post. Quite the interesting variety and I would gladly have a plate of anything you served in this post. In particular that steak looks just the way I like it in the middle. In my mind is nothing better on a sammie than grilled pastrami. I'm assuming you did grill it, right? Nicely done all around.

Thank you so much for your kind responses Jim, Brad, and Dyal. I really appreciate that.

Jim--Alas, I did not grill that pastrami. I layered it in the loaf, wrapped it all up in foil and baked it in the oven fro about 30minutes.

Brad-- My biggest reason for going indirect is that direct grilling would otherwise scorch the cornmeal. The mayo does indeed disappear. I am most fond of it as a slather. It helps seal the fish to keep it moist and helps consolidate the meal into a crust. No mushy texture here. Works faster and better than an egg wash any day.

Dyal-- Now you know how it is for me when I spy your posts! More recently for example, I think of the pulled pork sandwich.

Guys-- My goodness, what has happened? This is so sad. There is more buzz around a funeral home than this forum.

My goodness, what has happened? This is so sad. There is more buzz around a funeral home than this forum.

It's seemed that way for awhile now. Same few people posting over and over again. What has happened to the crowd that used to be around here? Are they all lurking or have the all gone?

Sometimes I see that there are many many "Views," so there must be a lot of lurking going on. Then there are those who just come to make picture dumps, and only address their own posts. And then comes the ouchful thought that I can't help but wonder that the reduction in participation happens to coincide with my return to this forum. Perhaps it would be best for the folks of this forum if I withdrew. I guess I must dance to the beat of a different drum. In the past, I have had my posts edited here, and been hounded by a few of the moderators on the Texas forum. So there just might be a basis to my suspicions.

I don't think it has anything to do with you, so please don't take off. I enjoy reading your posts (and everybody else's) and while I don't always get to respond to everything, I do try. This is still the first bbq forum I check every morning, has been for years and will continue to be. Hopefully, things will turn around. Maybe with cooler weather and football, we'll see more action and more people posting.

So well said, Griffin. What other forum is there that shows such the great diversity of people and innovative BBq cooks as this one. Would be a great shame if everyone loses heart. I'll try to do my part to contribute to the interaction here.

Now, your tastes in basketball teams I start to wonder.

Great to hear from you again, Tex, my Friend.! You ask a worthy question, as I wonder myself. I am upset with how the Lakers treated Lamar Odom. I knew they couldn't win the championship AGAIN without him. I'm sorry he did not perform well for your Mavs. But he's with the Clippers now, so guess who my team is now?